1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to so-called columnar spacers which are formed for ensuring a gap between respective substrates which are arranged to face each other in an opposed manner with a liquid crystal therebetween.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the liquid crystal display device, to ensure a gap between respective substrates which are arranged to face each other in an opposed manner with liquid crystal therebetween, spacers are interposed between the respective substrates. As such spacers, there have been known spacers which are referred to as columnar spacers, for example.
That is, a layer formed of resin, for example, is formed on a liquid-crystal-side surface of one substrate out of the respective substrates, wherein the layer is formed by a selective etching method. Accordingly, this method has an advantage that the necessary number of columnar spacers can be formed at necessary portions between the substrates.
However, in the liquid crystal display device having such a constitution, the friction resistance between the columnar spacers and another substrate which is brought into contact with the columnar spacers is increased and hence, when another substrate is displaced in the planar direction with respect to one substrate, there may be a case that the displacement is not restored and the brightness irregularities attributed to the displacement between a pixel region of the upper substrate and a pixel region of the lower substrate is generated.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2003-131238 discloses an example which includes columnar spacers which differ in height as a state of the columnar spacers in the manufacturing steps.